dermatology
(7)
AVAVA, Inc.
AVAVA, Inc. is a Waltham, Massachusetts medical aesthetics company that builds energy-based laser platforms for skin renewal that work across all skin tones. Spun out of Boston-based Blossom Innovations and rooted in research from Massachusetts General Hospital's Wellman Center for Photomedicine, AVAVA's flagship MIRIA Skin Treatment System pairs patented Focal Point Technology with AI-driven skin visualization to deliver precise, high-energy intradermal treatment for conditions like melasma, hyperpigmentation, and acne scars with minimal downtime.
Krystal Biotech, Inc.
Krystal Biotech is a Pittsburgh-based commercial-stage biotechnology company that pioneered redosable, off-the-shelf gene therapy delivered directly to the body. Its lead product VYJUVEK became the first FDA-approved topical and redosable gene therapy in 2023, treating the rare skin disease dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa. Built on a proprietary HSV-1 vector platform (STAR-D), the company runs its own GMP manufacturing and is extending the same delivery technology into respiratory disease, oncology, ophthalmology and aesthetics.
DermBiont, Inc.
DermBiont is a Boston-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-in-class targeted topical therapeutics that treat the root cause of common skin diseases. Its lead programs are SM-020, a topical AKT kinase inhibitor for seborrheic keratoses, and SM-030, a topical PKC-beta inhibitor for melasma and other hyperpigmentation disorders, with earlier-stage work aimed at basal cell carcinoma and Gorlin syndrome. Founded in 2017 by dermatology-drug veteran Karl Beutner, the company has raised roughly $79M-plus across multiple rounds, including a $35.2M Series B led by Double Point Ventures in 2023.
Great Many
Great Many is a New York-founded hair growth company that pairs in-studio clinical treatments - PRP injections and FDA-cleared laser therapy - with a telehealth platform and a line of growth-focused hair care products. Started in 2024 by Heyday co-founder Michael Pollak and former Estee Lauder omnichannel VP Steve Klebanow, it treats hair loss as a health category rather than a taboo, building consultative studios (NYC, Atlanta, Washington DC) around scalp assessments, microscopic follicle imaging and clinician-led plans for both men and women.
Corganics
Corganics is a Dallas-based life sciences company that makes scientifically formulated, physician-advised clinical CBD therapies sold exclusively through licensed healthcare professionals. Its broad-spectrum, THC-free products use Advanced Lipid Technology (A.L.T.) to improve bioavailability and are manufactured in cGMP-compliant, NSF-certified facilities with third-party testing and IRB-approved data. Founded in 2020 by pharmaceutical executives Chad Collins and Reggie Gatewood, the company aims to make CBD a trusted, clinic-grade therapy rather than a retail gamble.
DermaSensor, Inc.
DermaSensor is a Miami-based medical device company that makes the first FDA-cleared, AI-powered handheld device for detecting all three common skin cancers - melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma - at the point of care. Using elastic scattering spectroscopy and a machine learning algorithm trained on thousands of biopsy-confirmed lesions, the device gives primary care physicians a real-time, non-invasive read on whether a suspicious skin lesion warrants further evaluation, helping close the gap created by a shortage of dermatologists.
Michelle Longmire
Dr. Michelle Longmire is the co-founder and CEO of Medable, the leading platform for agentic AI in clinical development. A Stanford-trained physician-scientist who grew up in a Los Alamos nuclear-research family, she pivoted from dermatology to founding Medable in 2015 after hitting enrollment walls in her own clinical research. Under her leadership, Medable has raised over $500 million in venture capital, deployed its platform in roughly 400 trials across 70 countries in 120 languages, and served more than one million patients globally - transforming how the world runs clinical trials.